Photographer: Joe Fletcher | ArchDaily

Building with the Landscape: Non-Invasive Design Strategies for Steep Terrain

Olivia Poston — Thu, 07 May 2026 07:30:00 +0000

The relationship between constraint and design excellence is well established in architectural theory, yet often remains underexplored in discussions of site-specific practices. When architects encounter extreme topography, they face a fundamental choice: transform the landscape to accommodate the building, or modify the building to fit the landscape. The first approach is straightforward and requires the builder to cut, fill, terrace, and build on level ground. This choice, however, carries cascading consequences as any amount of earth moved may destabilize slopes, disrupt drainage, and fracture ecosystems. A growing body of innovative architectural work demonstrates an alternative to earth-moving and retaining walls.

Moksha House / SAW // Spiegel Aihara Workshop

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000

A Site of Dramatic Beauty
Set atop a 3.1-acre site in Portola Valley, a scenic, northern-California town strewn across rolling hillsides, panoramic views unfurl across the adjacent Stanford University campus to the San Francisco Bay. Moksha reveals itself gradually through the landscape, culminating in a sculpted composition of expressive material forms. The landscape and architecture balance presence and restraint, a study in enduring figures shaped by light and time.

Creston House / Mork-Ulnes Architects

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Mork-Ulnes Architects has just completed a restoration of a Roger Lee-designed home in the Berkeley Hills, honoring its mid-century roots while thoughtfully updating the space for modern living.

Staggered Cabin / Mork-Ulnes Architects

Hadir Al Koshta — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Situated at an elevation of over 6000' (1800 m), Staggered Cabin deploys shed-roofed volumes to integrate onto a sloping site where South Lake Tahoe meets the foot of the mountains beyond.

Pine Flat / Faulkner Architects

Hana Abdel — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Remotely accessed via a winding former stagecoach road north-east of Healdsburg, California, the 2019 Kincade Fire destroyed the original off-grid house. The pioneering resourcefulness of the clients allowed them to embrace an alternative, landscape-driven lifestyle that follows the spirit of the nearby original historic Pine Flat community – a boomtown that flourished in the Mayacamas Mountains during the quicksilver and mercury rush in the 1870s.

Beyond the Dropped Ceiling: 10 Interior Projects for Making Services and Conduits Part of the Architecture

Jonathan Yeung — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:30:00 +0000

In contemporary interior architecture, service provisions—mechanical, electrical, HVAC, plumbing—are almost always treated as elements to be concealed. Thickened wall cavities, extensive dropped ceilings, and, in regions where solid construction such as brick or concrete prevails, furred-out walls are routinely employed to hide these systems. This approach has become so normalized that it often forms the starting assumption for spatial planning, inherently constraining imagination and reducing the range of spatial possibilities. The priority shifts towards covering-up, rather than exploring how these systems might coexist visibly within a design language.

Red Rock House / Faulkner Architects

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Located on a three-quarter-acre parcel with views of the Las Vegas Strip to the east and Red Rock Canyon to the west, this site endures strong winds, cold, dry winters, and harsh, hot summers with monsoon rainstorms. Protection from the sun and wind, as well as durability and privacy were the simple constraints that shaped the formal direction and materiality of the house.

Wavelet House / Fougeron Architecture

Hadir Al Koshta — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Eichler's mid-century modern stylings are abundant in Northern and Southern California and Wavelet House is a reconsideration of the area's architectural precedent. Set on a narrow lot with side-yard setbacks, the evocative mid-century façade belies an unexpected rear that is more modern. The metal and wood slats of the entrance are quite aesthetically pleasing and offer additional privacy to the residents. The material asymmetry in the front courtyard is a nod to the playfulness of the back of the home.

Suspension House / Fougeron Architecture

Pilar Caballero — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Suspended between two beautiful California hills, this remodel spans a creek and boasts a waterfall in the back yard.

Australian Embassy in Washington D.C. / Bates Smart

Hana Abdel — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 03:00:00 +0000

Site - The Embassy of Australia in Washington D.C. is one of the country’s largest diplomatic presences. The design by Bates Smart stands as both an integral civic space and an enduring symbol of Australia. The embassy’s architecture, landscape, and commissioned artworks combine to embed an enduring relationship between Australia and the United States. The Embassy respects and upholds the character of the city of Washington D.C., completing Scott Circle and addressing the street axes to 16th Street and the White House and Massachusetts Avenue, commonly referred to as Embassy Row.

Barn Retreat / Malcolm Davis Architecture

Paula Pintos — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Nestled into the heart of Northern California Wine Country, this captivating new addition to the landscape by esteemed San Francisco architectural firm, Malcolm Davis Architecture (MDa), is a testament to modern architecture’s ability to blend harmoniously with nature. Known as the Wine Country Barn, the unique building is the result of a close collaboration between Mda and loyal clients who sought to enhance their weekend home.

Madrone Ridge / Field Architecture

Andreas Luco — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

The valleys of Northern California bear the imprint of waters that flow down from its mountains, forming rivers that release into the sea. This valley is one of these valleys. Located in a 27-square-mile watershed, the valley is drained by the eponymous creek, a tributary of the Russian River. Each year, the river supplies water for the region’s rich agricultural lands and sustains the regional ecology that includes the City of San Francisco. Hot dry summers in this part of the world give way to seasonal rains. In summer, the creek is nearly waterless while, during winter, the river triples in volume, nourishing the flood plain. Rainwater provides moisture and essential nutrients to the crops that cover the valley floor.

Let There be Light! 12 Projects that Show the Impact Lighting can Make to an Interior Space

Dima Stouhi — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Light is a key feature in architecture. Centuries ago, the sun and fire were the only sources of illumination, but in today's technology-driven world, artificial lighting and cutting-edge optical technologies have found ways to mimic the qualities of natural light, making it possible to have a naturally-lit-looking space within four walls. LED technologies have even made it possible to embed lighting in furniture, interior surfaces, and facades, altering their intensities and hues to make light a main feature in the architecture's storytelling.

The Second Studio Podcast: Interview with Anthony Laney

The Second Studio Podcast — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 03:30:00 +0000

The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.

Translucence House / Fougeron Architecture

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000

This renovation and addition unravels a chapter of ill-considered renovations to create an urban retreat for a young family on a remarkable site. By re-using more than half of the original structure and improving the home's environmental performance, the project also minimizes the 4000 SF home’s embodied carbon and ongoing carbon footprint.

CAMPout / Faulkner Architects

Pilar Caballero — Wed, 03 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

A San Francisco family asked us to help them expand an existing property near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The site sits on a north-facing slope and looks down to the Martis Valley and up to Lookout Mountain through a natural screen of 100-year-old Jeffrey pine trees. In our world today, much of the built work is driven by visual appearance. Symbolic forms and arbitrary material deployment remind us of our history. Usually, these collages of comfort for the eye ignore their contexts that should affect the work in a tangible way. Wooden, furniture-like houses built in an ever-expanding migration to the wild lands that are at risk of fire appear to thumb their noses at the danger and the sun and the wind.

What Is a Pocket Door? Maximizing Space, Flexibility and Style

Valeria Montjoy — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Once popular in Victorian architecture, pocket doors fell out of fashion in the mid-1920s and hinged doors soon became the norm. In recent years, however, a renewed interest in space-saving and design-forward solutions has brought pocket doors back into the limelight. What used to be an overlooked architectural feature is now becoming increasingly common in modern interiors, along with its creative flair and countless functions. These sleek, sliding doors can efficiently divide rooms, create seamless transitions, save space and contribute to a unique, sophisticated and stylish look. All of this while adding a slight touch of poetry to the home; sliding silently into the wall, pocket doors invite users to step through and explore what lies beyond, creating a strong sense of mystery and intrigue.

Architecture and Collective Living: 50 of Mexico's Most Cutting Edge Apartment Complexes

Mónica Arellano — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 07:30:00 +0000

Climate is one of the key factors to take into consideration when designing a space. Of course, this can present a challenge, especially when dealing with extreme climates and the need for insulating materials that are able to adapt to a wide range of conditions. Luckily, for architects operating in Mexico, the country's privileged climate facilitates the creation of microclimates and spaces that blur the line between interior and exterior.